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1979
This is a list of various things that took place in 1979. Significant events January :*Bruiser Brody makes his Japanese debut with All Japan Pro Wrestling February *: The WWWF North American Championship is created, with Ted DiBiase its inaugural champion April :*The World Wide Wrestling Federation drops the "Wide" in its name to become the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) July :*''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' releases its debut issue, cover-dated September 1979, to newsstands :*8 - Ric Flair defeats Buddy Rogers by submission in the "Battle of the Nature Boys" in Greensboro, North Carolina August :*Bill Watts purchases the NWA-affiliated Tri-State Wrestling promotion from Leroy McGuirk, withdraws the company from the NWA (although he would continue to maintain a loose alignment with the Alliance) and renames it as the Mid-South Wrestling Association :*26 - All Japan owner Giant Baba and New Japan owner Antonio Inoki team up to defeat Abdullah the Butcher and Tiger Jeet Singh in Tokyo, Japan September :* The WWF Intercontinental Championship title is created, with Pat Patterson named its first champion. A kayfabe story for many years explained that Patterson had either defeated the WWF South American Champion in a unification match or entered and won an eight-man tournament, both in Rio Di Janerio; in reality, this was simply the renaming of the WWF's North American Championship, which Patterson won earlier in 1979 from Ted DiBiase November :* Hulk Hogan makes his debut with the WWF, competing as a heel and managed by Freddie Blassie :* 13 - A storyline involving the Grand Wizard "selling" the contract of his protégé, WWF Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson, to Captain Lou Albano begins playing out during a television taping for WWF Championship Wrestling at Allentown, Pennsylvania; the segments later aired throughout December. The end result - Patterson objecting to the deal because he never was consulted, calling Albano a morally corrupt, ugly, fat, stinking bum, firing The Grand Wizard and becoming a face as a result - makes Patterson the first wrestler to turn (here, from heel to face) while holding a major singles championship in the WWF (In 1989, some 9-1/2 years later, WWF Heavyweight Champion Randy Savage would become the second to turn while holding a major singles championship, turning from face to heel to begin feuding with Hulk Hogan) December :* Starting with the 1979 year-end issue, Victory Sports, publisher of Sports Review Wrestling, moves its fan-voted year-end awards to Pro Wrestling Illustrated, where they remain to this day. Births February *21 - Carly Colón (Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico) March *4 - Sarah Stock *9 - Melina Perez (Los Angeles, California) *17 - Samoa Joe (Orange County, California, USA) *23 - Ray Gordy (North Carolina) April *5 - Mohamad Ali Vaez (Richmond, Kentucky) May *29 - Brian Kendrick (Fairfax, Virginia, USA) August *12 - Bailey Mannix (Westgate Valley, Illinois) *31 - Mickie James (Richmond, Virginia) October *1 - Joe Hennig (Champlin, Minnesota) *8 - Paul Burchill *14 - Stacy Keibler *25 - Rosa Mendes November *2 - Darren Young (Union City, New Jersey, USA) *4 - Audrey Hollander (Louisville, Kentucky) December *4 - Jermaine Alston *15 - Eric Young (Nashville, Tennessee) *29 - Justin Roberts (Scottsdale, Arizona) Deaths June :*30 - Chris Taylor 29 (Heart attack) Debuts Events Title changes January :*Igor Volkoff and UFO win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship from Salvatore Martino and Mike Sharpe Jr. February :*12 – Salvatore Martino and Bill Cody win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Igor Volkoff and UFO in Vancouver, British Columbia :*16 – Mr. Wrestling II wins the NWA Tri-State North American Championship from Ernie Ladd in Atlanta, Georgia :*17 – Roddy Piper wins the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship from Jonathan Boyd in Portland, Oregon March :*3 – Ron Starr wins the vacant San Francisco version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship by defeating Roddy Piper in San Francisco, California :*12 – Igor Volkoff and The Mongol win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Salvatore Martino and Joe Ventura (subbing for Bill Cody) in Vancouver :*29 – Salvatore Martino wins the NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship from Gene Kiniski April :*Bobby Bass and Joe Ventura win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Igor Volkoff and The Mongol :*1 – Ric Flair wins the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship from Rick Steamboat in Greensboro; The Spoiler is awarded the NWA American Heavyweight Championship (it is claimed that Spoiler won the title from Kevin Von Erich in Puerto Rico, but it is likely a phantom title switch) :*28 – Baron Von Raschke and Paul Jones win the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship from Jimmy Snuka and Paul Orndorff May :*11 – Buddy Rose wins the NWA San Francisco United States title from Ron Starr in San Francisco :*13 - Wahoo McDaniel wins the NWA American title from The Spoiler in Houston, Texas :*14 – Jean Louie wins the NWA Pacific Coast title from Salvatore Martino in Vancouver June :*2 - The Spoiler regains the NWA American title from Wahoo McDaniel via forfeit in Houston when McDaniel is injured :*6 – Verne Gagne and Mad Dog Vachon win the AWA World Tag Team Championship from Pat Patterson and Ray Stevens in Winnipeg, Manitoba :*8 – Buddy Rose is stripped of the NWA San Francisco United States title when he refuses to wrestle Ron Starr, who then defeats Johnny Mantell to win the vacant title in San Francisco :*30 – Stan Stasiak wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Roddy Piper in Portland July :*Chris Colt and Bobby Jaggers win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Bobby Bass and Joe Ventura :*23 – Yaki Joe wins the NWA Pacific Coast title from Jean Louie in Vancouver August :*The NWA Tri-State North American Championship is renamed the Mid-South North American Championship :*5 - El Halcon wins the NWA American title from The Spoiler in Dallas, Texas :*8 – Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan win the NWA World Tag Team title from Baron Von Raschke and Paul Jones in Greensboro; Flair vacates his NWA Mid-Atlantic United States title with the World Tag Team title win :*21 – Dusty Rhodes wins the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Harley Race in Tampa, Florida :*22 – Baron Von Raschke and Paul Jones regain the NWA World Tag Team title from Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan in Raleigh, North Carolina :*26 – Harley Race regains the NWA World title from Dusty Rhodes in Orlando, Florida September :*Pat Patterson is awarded the WWF Intercontinental Championship (WWE claims that he won the title in a tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to become the first champion) :*Bobby Bass and Yaki Joe win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Chris Colt and Bobby Jaggers :*1 – Jimmy Snuka wins the vacant NWA Mid-Atlantic United States title in a tournament final over Rick Steamboat in Charlotte, North Carolina :*5 – Mike George wins the Mid-South North American title from Mr. Wrestling II in Shreveport, Louisiana :*24 – Seigfried Steinke wins the NWA Pacific Coast title from Yaki Joe in Victoria, British Columbia October :*7 - The Spoiler regains the NWA American title from El Halcon in Dallas :*23 – Bob Sweetan wins the NWA San Francisco United States title from Ron Starr in San Francisco :*24 – Rick Steamboat and Jay Youngblood win the NWA World Tag Team title from Baron Von Raschke and Paul Jones in Raleigh :*31 – Giant Baba wins the NWA World title from Harley Race in Nagoya, Japan November :*7 – Harley Race regains the NWA World title from Giant Baba in Amagasaki, Japan :*12 – Chris Colt and Buddy Rose win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Bobby Bass and The Texas Outlaw (subbing for Yaki Joe) in Vancouver :*16 – Buddy Rose wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Stan Stasiak in Portland :*30 – Antonio Inoki wins the WWF Heavyweight Championship from Bob Backlund in Tokushima, Japan (WWE, which claims that Backlund reigned uninterrupted from February 20, 1978 to December 26, 1983, does not recognize this title change); Bruiser Brody wins the NWA American title from The Spoiler in Houston December :*Stan Stasiak and Dutch Savage win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Chris Colt and Buddy Rose :*4 – Bill Watts wins the Mid-South North American title from Mike George in Shreveport :*6 – Bob Backlund regains the WWF title from Antonio Inoki in Tokyo, but the title is held up due to the interference of Tiger Jeet Singh (WWE does not recognize this title change); The Mid-South North American title is returned to Mike George :*17 – Bob Backlund wins the vacant WWF title by defeating Bobby Duncum in New York City (WWE does not recognize this title change) :*29 – George Wells wins the NWA San Francisco United States title from Bob Sweetan in San Francisco See also Category:Wrestling Years